Journal of Piano Research
© The Author(s) 2025
https://doi.org/10.70760/FPDP5952
journalofpianoresearch.org
Rachel D. Hahn
Immanuel Lutheran School, St. Charles, Missouri, USA
Abstract
Collegiate music programs in the United States cater to diverse student populations and have widely varying processes through which students apply, audition, enroll, and engage in college study. However, many students may face challenges related to the college adaptation process. Initial adaptation may impact students’ academic achievement, development of music practice and performance skills, mental and physical health, and ability to attain the grades required for scholarships. Successful adaptation is characterized by the adoption of productive educational habits (Credé & Niehorster, 2012). Group piano offers a unique environment in which to study adaptation for music majors because it is a typical experience for first-year students and requires the development of both music knowledge and skills such as sight-reading, hand coordination, score-reading, and ensemble. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate how first-year music students adapt to group piano classes. The study was guided by the question: What meaning do six first-year music majors ascribe to their group piano experience, especially as this pertains to the adaptation process? Four key themes (Preparedness, Value, Priorities and Expectations, and Support Systems) emerged and offer connections to previous findings in other social sciences, as well as a complex framework of adaptation as a means for planning group piano curriculum. Results from this qualitative study are not generalizable to a broader population, but the findings discussed can be used to recommend future research that will help guide curricular decisions in group piano and other core music classes.
Keywords
college adaptation, group piano, music majors, phenomenological research
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